SHILLONG, January 10: Meghalaya Government today instituted a judicial probe by a retired High Court judge to enquire into the devastating fire which reduced the historic 80 year-old Meghalaya Assembly building last night. Speaking to newsmen in his office chamber this evening, Chief Minister EK Mawlong said that no foul-play is suspected in the incident. "I feel sad at the incident as I had been associated with the Assembly for a long time", he said. Mawlong was Speaker of the House for two terms before taking over as Chief Minister in March last year. He informed that the State Central...

IMPHAL, January 9: Samata Party Legislature leader Koijam Radhabinod said Manipur Regional Congress Party had joined Samata Party as it had full confidence that it will get Centre's help in toppling Nipamacha Ministry and installing a new Government having similar ideologies with the NDA at the Centre. He told reporters today that there is a high possibility that the Manipur Democratic Front of the Opposition parties will become partners with the NDA government. He said that the MRCP merged to the Samata Party, as it needed Centre's help in pulling down the United Front Ministry. He said that...

SHILLONG, January 9: The historic Meghalaya State Assembly building was totally gutted this evening in a devastating fire. The fire, which started from a suspected short-circuit around 8.15 pm, engulfed the pre-Independence Assam-type building quickly. The building earlier housed the Assam Assembly till the hill State was born in 1972. Valuable records, including Assembly proceedings since the creation of Meghalaya, is presumed lost in the fire. Assembly Speaker ED Marak described the incident as unfortunate. Speaking to The Assam Tribune around 10.30 pm he ruled out any sabotage but hastened...

IMPHAL, January 8: The recent Delhi trips of Chief minister Nipamacha and his team, and various Opposition stalwarts are starting to have repercussions. On the one hand, a number of Ruling ministers and government officials are reported to be quaking in their boots after the chief minister gave his consent to the CBI investigations in certain specific cases. On the other hand, there is talk of the Opposition camp splitting because of the decision of the Congress MLAs to join the Samata Party. According to insider sources, following the chief minister agreeing to CBI investigations into the...

NEW DELHI, January 8: The Central Government today sought assistance from the Supreme Court in building up a consensus involving all the parties for repeal of the controversial IMDT Act. The case involving the foreigners' issue, particularly scrapping of the IMDT Act is getting complex by the day, with three new petitioners today filing two separate intervention petitions and a writ petition. A division bench of the Supreme Court, headed by the Chief Justice, AS Anand deferred the case for hearing until six weeks later, before it would be taken up for final disposal. The United Minority Front...